High or low water alarm



v .(No Model.)

W. A. KITTS.

HIGH OR LOW WATER ALARM.

No. 503,606. Patented Aug. 22, 1893. 7.11

5?" v dab/Z ATTORNEY S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD A. KITTS, OF OSWEGO, NEW YORK.

HIGH OR Low WATER ALARM.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 503,606, dated'August 22, 1893.

Application filed June 13 1892. Serial No. 436,422- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD A. KITTS, of Oswego, in the county of Oswego, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in High or Low Water Alarms, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to high or low Water alarms, which are provided with an automatic alarm actuating device, or devices, mounted within the cylindrical body, which is secured in an upright position upon and exterior to the boiler and connected thereto by pipes, one connected to the steam chamber, and the other to the water chamber therein.

My object is to produce a high or low water alarm, in which the alarm whistles are connected to and operated both for being held closed, or opened, by a system of levers and weights and counterweights,the weights being always maintained, when immersed, at substantially a physical unit, and when such relation is destroyed by the variation of the water level in the boiler, the efieot of the counter balance is overcome, and an alarm is given; said weights, counter-weights and the lever systems being mounted and inclosed within a cylindrical casing exterior to the boiler and connected by piping to both the steam and water chambers therein, so that the water level in the alarm casing is always the same as that of the boiler.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation hereinafter described and which are specifically set forth in the claims hereunto annexed. It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a vertical transverse sectional elevation of the alarm, complete. Fig. 2, is a vertical transversesection of the upper weight. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the bottom of the lower weight.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.

A-, is an upright cylinder, closed and made steam-tight by the heads -a-, -a'- and mounted upon and connected to the boiler by the pipes b-bof which the pipe -bis connected to the steam chamber therein,

and the pipe -b'- to the water chamber 7 thereof.

In the head athe whistles c-care secured; and in the head -a'- the blow-0E pipe d is secured, the pipe b'- being shown as tapped into the pipe d, for convenience and to avoid unnecessary tapping and the shut-off cooks -b" and -dare mounted in these pipes, so that when the blowofi cock is closed, the pipe b' is open, and vice versa, the cock -bis closed when it is desired to open the blow-off cook.

The pipes b-and b'' respectively conduct steam and water from the boiler into the alarm cylinder, so that the water level therein is always substantially the same as that in the boiler. said cylinder; as is also a water glass f--in the usual manner.

. Valves hh'- normally close the whistles. The valve -hof the high-water whistle cis provided with a stem which is connected to a lever k which is pivoted at one end to a suitable support, within the cylinder,

and its opposite end is connected to another lever 7cwhich is pivoted upon a hanger k"- attached to the head -a, and the weight --B- is supported by the rod 7c' connected to the lever --k-. A counterbalance weight -2 is mounted upon the lever The Weight -B- consists of an outer cylindrical shell, or casing m-, closed at the bottom and provided with a concave perforated top m'-, and it is also provided with a central vertical aperture -m shown as frusto-conical in outline, opening through both top and bottom, the walls of which opening may project slightly above the upper face of said top, if desired, to create a dam around said aperture. This casing is filled with a core constructed, or compounded of such materials as will not be charred or burned or injuriously affected by steam,but which will be more or less absorbent of water, as, for instance, a compound composed of magnesia and asbestus, all, so that said weight will, in use, he of the specific gravity of a physical unit, as compared with the density of water, or substantially so.

The counterbalance --2-- is lighter than Gage cocks eare also mounted in the weight -B- when out of the water, and is so set upon thelever as to be overbalanced by the weight -B when the latter is out of water; and thus, when it is so overbalanced, said weight will operate to hold the valve h closed. This weight is normally at substantially the water line of the boiler and cylinder, and when the water rises above said line,

it becomes submerged and loses its weight,

whereupon the counterbalance operates to depress the lever-lc, open the valve and sound the alarm, for high water.

The valve h of the lower water whistle, is provided with a stem which is connectedto a lever n, pivoted upon the hanger -10 which is connected to alever -n'- supported by a hanger n' to which the rod n is connected upon which the weight -D is suspended. This may be termed the lowwater weight, and consists of the-outer casing, a perforated bottom, a convex top, and

a core of the same absorbent material as the other weight-,-so that when submerged this weight is also a physical unit, or substantially so. 'When the water lowers in .the boiler and cylinder, so that thisweight is only partly submerged, it will over-balance the counterbalance weight -3- upon the lever n and open the valve -cand sound the alarm, for low water. Whenthe weight D- is submerged it is substantially'inert, and thenthe counterbalance -.-'3 holds the valve cclosed.

When the weight -'-B- is submerged, the

high-water alarm. continues -until'thewater inthe boiler and cylinderlowers sufficiently topermit said weight to overcome thecoun terbalance 2-. and close the valve c-; and when the weight -D- is not submerged the low-water alarm will continue to sound until the water rises high enough in the boiler and cylinder to permit the counterbalance 3 to' close the valve -cby over-balancing the weight 'D-.'

In blowing oil: the cylinder, I close the cock b" and open the blow-0E cock --d and the water and steam which are forced through the central aperture in the Weight A-, will effectually'cleanoli thetop of the weight B, removing all sediment which may have lodged thereon.

It will be seen that the perforated concave, top of the -weight-B-will catch the condensation, dripping from the top of the alarm cylinder, and conduct it into the core, and thus, maintain it at substantially its normalspecific gravity, by replacing the evaporation; and

that the bottom of the Weight D--l being perforated,its specific gravity is alwaysrnain ftained. 5

Any other well known alarm signaling de; vices can he used in place of the whistles, and

can be connected to the alarm mechanism within the cylinder by ordinary means;

to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A low water alarm consisting of a cylin- What I claim as my inventioman'd desire der-connected to the steam and water chambers of a boiler, andan alarm signal con- .nected to the cylinder, in coinbination with a levermounted within the cylinder and con- .nected to the alarm, a weight upon said lever,

normally holding the alarm closed, apreponderant weight which is substantially a physicalunit, when submerged, connected to said lever to operate said alarm and normally supported at substantially the plane of the low water line in the boiler, and consisting of a cylinder perforated in an end, and a core of absorbent material inclosed within the cylin- 'der.

2. A high water alarm consisting of a cylinder connected to the steam and'waterchambers-of a boiler, "and-an alarm signal connected to the cylinder,-in combination with a lever mounted within the cylinder and con- .nected'to'the alarm, aweight upon said lever toactuate the alarm,a'preponderant weight connected to said lever to hold the alarm closed and normally supported at substam tially the plane of the high-water line in the boiler, and consisting of a cylinder closed at the bottom, and having a concavedand perforated top, and a core of absorbent material inclosed within the cylinder,'-so that said preponderant weight is substantiallyagphysical unit, when submerged.

3. A high and low water alarm'for steam boilers, consisting of an upright cylinder connected to: thesteam: and water chambers of a boiler, a lever mounted within the cylinder and connected to the highwater alarm, a weight connected to said lever-to open the alarm, a preponderant weight connected to saidylever to hold'th-e alarm closed, and nor- .mally supported at substantiallythe-plane of the high-water line in the boiler and consisting of. a cylindrical shell closed at the bottom and havinga concaved and perforated top,

andprovided with a vertical central aperture,

"axphysical unit, when submerged.

4. .The combination with the cylinder A, of thG'WGlgh'llB provided with a central'vertical aperture, and its supporting rodoperatively connecting it to a high-water alarm mechanism, and the lower weight .D,'and.i-ts supportin g .rod ypassingthrough the aperture in the upper Weightandoperatively connected-to a low-water alarm mechanism.

5. .In an alarm system ,jaweight- .-B--, consisting oi I a cylinder closed at thebottom, and having a 'oono'aved .and' perforated top, and

provided with a vertical central aperture, and

provided with a central aperture to discharge steam. and water upon the low-water weight, and a blow-off cock and pipe connected to the bottom of the cylinder. r 5

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLARD A. KITTS.

In presence of J. W. SMITH, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

